The present invention relates to ventilated rod-type shelving systems and, in particular, to a reinforcing element for reinforcing shelves of such systems to minimize the likelihood of distortion of the shelf in the presence of vertical loading.
Ventilated rod-type shelving has been increasingly used because it is aesthetically pleasing and is simple to assemble by relatively unskilled homeowners. Shelving systems of this type generally include a plurality of shelves each of which include a number of spaced apart, parallel, transverse deck rods which are supported by longitudinal rods which extend at least along the rearward and forward edges of each of deck rods. Additional longitudinal rods can be provided along the length of the transverse deck rods. Each of the shelves so constructed is mounted to a vertical support structure such as a wall by a means of clips, brackets or the like which couple the rearward longitudinal rod to the wall. The forward longitudinal rod of the shelf is in turn supported by brackets disposed at each end thereof on the side walls of a closet, for example, in which the shelf is mounted and/or through the use of a number of brackets which extend from the vertical support structure to the frontal longitudinal rod from above or below so as to support the shelf in a horizontal plane.
It has been found that shelves of the type described above can have the disadvantage that when heavy objects are placed on the deck rods, the decking rods and/or the longitudinal supports thereunder can be distorted under the weight of such objects tending to give a bowed configuration to the shelf in the widthwise direction. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a reinforcing element which can reinforce the shelf and prevent bowing distortion of the shelf under relatively heavy loads. However, it would be desirable to provide such a reinforcing element without substantially increasing the bulk of the ventilated shelving system or increasing the difficulty with which it is assembled so that it can still be easily and quickly assembled in operation by relatively unskilled homeowners and without the need for tools or excessive fastening hardware.